Looking at the music of Dutch rock band Focus, started in the late sixties by Thijs van Leer (b /31/03/48) with Jan Akkerman (b 24/12/46). Van Leer still performs and records under the name today (official site here). Akkerman's site here.

.

.
Showing posts with label Jacobs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jacobs. Show all posts

20111117

Track by track 116 Sylvia's Stepson UbaTuba

Archive number: 116
Title: Sylvia's stepson Ubatuba
Main Album: Focus 9 (New Skin)
Track number: 4
Genre: Progressive Rock Instrumental
Studio: Fieldwork Studios, Schoten, Belgium
Length: 04:46
Composer: Bobby Jacobs
Musicians: Thijs van Leer – Hammond organ, voice; Niels van der Steenhoven – Guitars; Bobby Jacobs - Bass; Pierre van der Linden - Drums
Producer: Bobby Jacobs and Thijs van Leer
Engineer: Han Nuijten
Label: Red Bullet
Date of recording/release: Summer 2006
Alternative version: None
Notes: Organ and guitar begin together, backed by bass and cymbals, as this beautiful piece is introduced (00:00-00:31). The drums announce the main theme, a typical piece of Focus guitar - slow, yearning and thoughtful - with occasional volume swells or violining (00:32-02:00) before quiet (02:01-02:10) then louder (02:11-02:24) guitar-led sections. At 02:25-02:56 we have the “ubatuba” section featuring guitar and “ubatubing” from van Leer's voice. A caesura at 02:57 announces the return of the yearning guitar lead with some exquisite finger work from van der Steenhoven, especially towards the end (02:58-04:14). Finally, we have a quieter section (04:15-04:35) that is rounded off with a coda of 10 violined harmonics (04:36-04:46).

20100220

Track by track 102 De Ti O De Mi

Archive number: 102
Title: De Ti O De Mi
Main Album: Focus 8
Track number: 5
Genre: Progressive Rock Instrumental
Studio: Peptide Studio, Vuren Length: 06' 22”
Composer: Bobby Jacobs
Musicians: Thijs van Leer – Hammond organ; Jan Dumee – Guitars; Bobby Jacobs - Bass; Bert Smaak - Drums
Producer: Geert Scheijgrond & Focus
Engineer: Geert Scheijgrond & Dick Kemper Label: Musea/Red Bullet
Date of recording/release: A limited run of 500 of the album appeared in August 2002 to be followed by a general release on CD later that year. Also later on Paras and JVC Victor Alternative version: None Notes: We begin with a dark bass riff backed by drums then organ (from about 00:26). At 00:46 an electric guitar takes up the lead with a yearning jazz melody that when eventually about to build at 01:21 reverts to the sparse bass riff. At 01:39 drums re-introduce the organ and a cleaner electric guitar sound and (from 02:01) the jazz guitar melody. It builds a little more this time until panning out with an organ backed development leading to a caesura at 02:59 and 03:00. For the remainder of the track the guitar-led melody is allowed to develop further, this time eventually taking off to some extent, though still meandering a little and later getting quite earnest. The section eventually begins to fade at 05:55 and ends around 06' 22”.